Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-29
A PERILOUS TRIP
Across the MissOuri-A Night In the Gorge
Scared by Mountain Lions.

Across the Missouri a Night In the Gorge
Scared by Mountain Lions.
Sr. PAUL, MINI, March 2S.-F. Il,
Thayer, Pullman car conductor on the
Northern Pacific road, gives the following
graphic account of a perilous trip OF
party of twelve, made across the river al
Bismarck Thursday night, during the ice
gorge there.
His orders were imperative to cross the
river, and he managed to hire five men tC
take him and six passengers across in
yawl. The flood was at its height, the
Missouri river was full of floating ice, and
it seemed almost impossible for boat to
live in the angry torrent.
A steamer from Bismarck had made q
trip early in the day, landing mp stream a
distance of tour miles from Mandau.
COLLISION WITH AN ICE FLOE.
Mr.. Thayer's story is rs follows: 1--WE
left the landing about o'clock. 1t looked
as though we would make the trip to Bis.
marck before dark, rs the current was
running so swiftly that it was only neces-
sary to steer the boat and keep her head
down stream. Suddenly, and without
warning, a squall struck us, the boat al
most upset, so violent was the shock, aud
we shipped a sea that afcompletely filled the
bottom of our boat aud gave us ducking.
The wind seemed to have started the ice,
and we were continually caught in eddies
that would turn the boat around and
make it unmanageable, even with -four
strong men at the oars.
"Once we cOllided with an ice flOe with
such force that it seemed rs if we should
90 to the bottom; q miracle must have
been performed TO save us. We gradually
worked the boat
INTO THE TREE TOPS
that were q few feet above water, and Sc
cured anchorage. and then discussed thC
situation. BY this time it was quite dark
We had the choice of remaining where W,
were all night or venturing out into thu
main channel and taking the chance o
reaching Our destination. We naturally
CnOSe Tue lOlIuci NOulSt. uC hluu
increased in violence and soon after dark
it commenced to rain, then hail, and finally
snow. Our clothing was wet through anC
finally froze stiff. One of the party haC
got his feet wet and changed his stockings
but his shoes froze and he was so benumbeC
that he could not get them on again. II,
then took q coat from his satchel, cut tn,
sleeves out, and wrapped his feet in tn,
sleeves.
WANTED TO FIGHT.
1--WE stood up in the boat, stamped
swung our arms to keep our blood in cir
culatiOn, and resorted to every form OF ex
erciSe that our cramped position woulC
permit. One of the party finally gave NJ
and declared he didn't care if he did freez
to death, and sank down in the boat.
aroused him by a smart slap in the face
that angered him, and he got up an,
wanted to fight. The same thing occurr
ed several times during that awful night
and am satisfied that we should all hav
perished but for such measures.
COMPANIONS IN MISERY.
The roaring of the river, and the crack
ing of ice were simply awful. At time
we could not make ourselves heard, and u
add to our discontinue We could hear quit
near us the screams of two mountain lions
probably in some tree-top, imprisoned b!
the flood At last the long weary houn
wore away, and faint CLEAN Of light ap
peared in the eastern sky, and as it grew
lighter the food gradually went down an(
the muddy waves diminished in size
There was less ice in the river, too, anC
with benumbed hands we unfastened on
mooring and drifted with the food dOwr
the river, and finally managed to get
ashore"
r WoOnAI. pisgah. Ala. writes